Exploring the Bacterial Communities in Date Palm Roots in Saline versus Non-saline Environment

Arid agroecosystems are one of the most hostile places for plant growth, where root-microbe interactions play a pivotal role with its high genetic diversity. The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.), with its genetic diversity and resilience, is an ideal model for studying microbial adaptation to different genotypes and stresses. In this study, we examined the bacterial communities in the root systems of date palm cultivars from two distinct locations: saline (Nashella) and non-saline (Al Foah) regions. The highest number of unique bacterial OTUs was observed in date palms growing in Nashella soil (591), followed by Al Foah soil (496), with 537 shared OTUs. The bacterial communities were dominated by twenty-four phyla at both locations, with Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria being the most abundant. Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were observed in higher proportions in date palm roots of the saline Nashella region, whereas Cyanobacteria were primarily associated with non-saline samples from the Al Foah region. We also found that growth promotion by six bacterial isolates from date palm roots enhanced salinity and drought resistance when inoculated into Arabidopsis thaliana. Overall, our study contributes to the understanding of the interactions between date palm genotypes and microbial communities, highlighting the need for further research to elucidate genotype-specific microbial interactions and their roles in enhancing plant resilience to environmental stresses.